Capital: South Africa has three capitals. Cape Town, of the Western Cape province, is the legislative capital. Bloemfontein, of the Free State province, is the judicial capital. Pretoria, of the Gauteng province, is the administrative capital as well as the definitive capital of the country.

Geography: South Africa occupies the southern tip of the African continent and sits between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It shares borders with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland. South Africa also surrounds the small mountainous and independent country, Lesotho. With a total land area of over 1.2 million square kilometers, South Africa is approximately one-eighth the size of the United States. The country is made up of nine provinces, ranging from the small, crowded, and highly urbanized Guateng province, to the large Northern Cape, spanning one third of the country. This highly diverse country encompasses it all, from the semi desert of the Karoo and snowcapped peaks of the Drakensberg Range, to the subtropical coast of KwaZulu-Natal, and the busting coastal city of Cape Town.

Climate: South Africa boasts a moderate subtropical climate. The average yearly high is approximately 72 degrees Fahrenheit with an average low of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. These averages are lower than other countries at similar latitudes due to the Atlantic and Indian oceans surrounding three sides of the country and its elevation above sea level.

Did you know: South Africa has a penguin colony thriving on the west coast near Cape Town due to the cold Antarctic currents.